Malmutrition is iften the result of economic poverty, not only in the Philippines but also in ither perts of the world. Lack of food supp;y.incorrect dietary food practices, ill health and other factora of under-nutrition generally prevail in conditions of abject poverty.
The Philippine Food and Nutrition Program which represent the collective efforts of the public and private sectors against malnutrition, is an integral part of the socioeconomic development program of the Philipine government. The program, which incorporates poverty-reduction schemes addressed mostly to the ultra poor , seeks to alleviate the social ills brought about by economic hardships and thereby effect the dynamic involvement of communities in national development.
Self-sufficiency programs
Remedies to the problem of economic poverty in the country have included food sufficiency programs designed to provide agricultural project loans to small producers to enable them to increase their oncome. These include programs on rice, corn , fish, livestock, and other basic food sources.
One of the most extensive of these undertaking is the Masagana 99 Program, a rice-sufficienty program of the government designed as a program for survival,to elevate the country from its formers ststus as a rice-importer.Name sfter the desired yield in cavans per hectare, the program has enabled the country to take great strides in rice production, marking the Philippined not only self-sufficient in the grain but also a rice-exportter.
The Maisagana Program was launched in December 1981 to make the country self-sufficient in yellow corn in 2 years and a corn exportter in 3 years to achieve a saving of at least$50 M usually spent for the importation of the cereal every year.
The Bakahang Barangay, a cattle-financing program of the government launched in 1977, is a non-collatereal olan aimed at providing small farmers with loans for securing up to 8 cattlefatteners. This program is implemented nationwide involving 65 provinces and 634 rural banks and savings and loan associations.
Kambingang Barangay is a goat-fitnancing program jointly implemented by the Bureau of Animal Industry(BAI)Heifer Project International, and the Department of Rural Banks and Saving and Loan Associstion of the Central Bank of the Philippines.
Gulayan sa Kalusugan is the vegetable and legume program of the government strated in 1975 to enable farmers to have additional sources of income and to ensure the continous supply of vegetables in the market.
Biyayang Dagat or Blue Revolution launched on September 11,1979 is designed to help the small fishermen/fishfarmers improve their economic condition, as well as to boost fish production in the country.As envisioned the program seeks to extend credit services to an estimated 60,000 fishermen, and to influence fishermen and aquacultire operators into adopting appropriated fishery projects and technology for increasing fish production.
